This invention relates to insulating seal structures for low voltage, low frequency but high current electrical devices and more particularly to an insulating seal structure for the electrical terminals of high energy batteries.
The pressure of the ever increasing energy demands of society has required a continuing search for new and unconventional sources of energy and a continuing effort to make improvements in the more conventional sources of energy. Thus, a wide variety of sources of high voltages and/or high frequency electrical power have been developed.
More recently, there has been renewed interest in the development and improvement of low frequency, low voltage power sources such as batteries. As a result, a number of novel electrochemical batteries have been proposed based on the use of uncommon, if not exotic, chemical reactions. Among such batteries are those based on lithium-sulfur and sodium-sulfur reactions which are capable of producing higher electrical energy outputs than more conventional batteries.
Because of their high energy output, serious consideration is being given to the use of such batteries to power vehicles or to store electrical power during periods of low energy requirements for subsequent use in satisfying high energy requirements. Such batteries are essentially direct current devices and operate at low voltages, usually less than about 10 volts, but are capable of operating at thousands of ampere-hours with energy outputs of many kilowatt hours.
Electrical terminal structures designed for use in conventional batteries are not capable of handling the electrical energy and powers involved. This, coupled with the unusual chemical reactions involved have heretofore resulted in the design of expensive and complicated seal structures for the electrical terminals of the high energy batteries.
Similarly, seal structures designed for use in high voltage, high frequency electrical devices would tend to be over designed and thus too expensive for use in high energy batteries even if capable of handling the high currents involved. In addition, the unusual chemical and mechanical environment of high energy batteries is unsuited for high voltage, high frequency seal structures of the prior art.
It is the principal object of this invention to provide a seal structure for the electrical terminals of high energy, low voltage and low frequency devices which is simple and inexpensive to fabricate and yet is highly reliable under adverse environmental and mechanical conditions.